


This Is Not New, It Only Feels Like It

by debwalsh



Series: Deb’s Fictober Surprise! [22]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 20:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16436123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debwalsh/pseuds/debwalsh
Summary: Bucky and Steve rediscover each other, while Steve’s team comes together to rescue Bucky’s sister, and put an end to Hydra.Follows Impressive, Truly, and I Know How You Love to Play Games.





	This Is Not New, It Only Feels Like It

**Author's Note:**

> I’m really just sort of letting the boys take over now.

For the first time in two years, Bucky could breathe.

Steve was warm and solid against him, around him, holding him, grounding him. Grinding against him. And oh, that was something Bucky never thought he’d feel again. He hadn’t even touched himself in the past two years, and now he was getting hard against Steve’s thigh, about to go off like a bottle rocket or a horny teenager.

“This is not new,” Steve pulled away from his mouth and breathed against his jaw, sucking bruises there. “It only feels like it.”

“No one’s touched me since the last time with you.”

“I guess that answers my next question -“ Steve murmured as he wove his fingers into Bucky’s hair, pulling with a delicious sting to slot their mouths together again.

“Only you,” Bucky gasped. “Only ever you.”

“Me, too, Buck, me, too,” Steve whispered into the skin behind his ear. “Nat’s been trying -“

“Tell ‘er hand’s off. You’re mine,” Bucky growled, nipping at Steve’s jaw, his earlobe, his neck.

“That mean you’re staying?”

And that question was just the smack of cold reality that Bucky needed. He stopped kissing Steve, took a step back, and almost had to laugh as Steve nearly toppled over, chasing Bucky’s lips. He put his hand on Steve’s chest to steady him, and smiled ruefully. “Easy there, Tex. That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? This is the first time Bex and I have been out of Siberia in two years. Pretty sure what the message is here.”

Steve took Bucky’s hand in his, laced their fingers together and brought Bucky’s knuckles to his lips, pressing a kiss. “You don’t belong to them. We’ll take them on. My team. Me. You. We’ll get Becca and we’ll keep you both safe.” Steve tugged at Bucky’s hand and led him over to the odd gazebo, pulled him in and settled into the seat there. Bucky dropped down next to him, close to him, luxuriating in the reality of him, even as he feared it was illusory, a cruel taste of what he couldn’t have. 

“What? For a day? An hour? Hydra’s an international organization, Steve. They’ve got deep pockets and wide influence -“

Steve let go of Bucky’s hand and draped his arm around Bucky’s shoulders, pulling him close. “I know. I’ve been fighting them a long time -“

Twisting in Steves embrace, Bucky glared at Steve. “How the fuck -“

Steve shifted so they were half seated, half facing each other. He pulled his arm away and reached for both of Bucky’s hands. Bucky was selfish enough to let him. “Army.”

“You rode a desk -“

“Intelligence. Black ops.”

“What the actual fuck, Steve? How did I not know this? We’ve known each other almost thirty years, we’ve been together more than half that, and I never knew -“

“Need to know. You didn’t. I thought I’d left it behind when I left the Army.”

“But ...?”

“But then my old team started picking up chatter about an organization we thought we’d burned to the ground.”

“Hydra?”

Steve nodded. “It was my team, I got pulled back in a a civilian consultant.”

“Ah. So you weren’t really working on commissions for Tony Stark?”

“No, I was. But we were also working together to try to get intel on Hydra. And then you disappeared.”

“Wait, you think it’s connected?”

“Honestly? No. For all his faults, George is a certified genius, and he’s been working in the fields that Hydra likes - genetic manipulation, cybernetic augmentation. Today’s Hydra is based on one of Hitler’s Eugenics cults. Fuck, George is like a Hydra wet dream. The fact that he was so easily compromised only made him more attractive to them. I don’t think my past experience with them even came into play. And we didn’t have any clue that they’d targeted George, or you and your family. Not long after you disappeared, Hydra went silent on all the channels we’d been monitoring. So I was able to convince everyone to help me try to find you. Only we didn’t have any success there, either.”

“So you built a company.”

“A security company. And thanks to my past affiliations, Tony’s connections, and friends strategically placed throughout the world intelligence services, we’ve got a greater reach than you might think. Tony and Nat will have already reached out to some of our colleagues. Knowing that they’re got George, and they’re operating out of Siberia helps narrow the parameters significantly.”

“God, I’ve missed you. But now I feel like I’ve never known you,” Bucky said then, feeling the full weight of the distance between them - in time, in knowledge, in reality.

The gate creaked open with a deliberate squeal. “Hey, sorry to break up the reunion - and thanks for keeping it in your pants, fellas. Stark’s on his way, ETA about 30 seconds,” Sam announced.

“We’ll have to get cozy to all fit, but I’m guessing you two won’t mind doubling up.” Clint added with a good-natured leer.

Steve stood and led Bucky back out of the gazebo, but Bucky held back, pulling on Steve’s hand. “Wait, how -“ 

Steve looked straight up. Above them, a vehicle was silently descending, and a ladder extruded from its smooth undercarriage.

“That’s never -“

“Yep. A flying car,” Steve grinned.

&&&

“So. You’re Barnes,” Tony Stark commented as the four men settled into their seats; Bucky just nodded and muttered something vaguely affirmative. He was feeling beyond overwhelmed. He tried to take comfort from the warm solidity of Steve pressed against his side, the possessive way that Steve held onto his hand, and the reassuring presence of Steve’s friends. Trying to, anyway.

As Clint had predicted, space in the car was at a premium, but it wasn’t so bad that Bucky had to sit in Steve’s lap. Instead, Natasha was settled in Clint’s lap, squinting her eyes at Bucky.

Steve looked at her and scoffed. “Stand down, Nat. You heard Buck’s story over the comms.”

“So he had a good reason for not writing love notes to you the last two years. I still don’t have to trust him. You cut his heart out, you know. You hurt him again ...” The threat was more than implied. It was promised.

“Duly noted,” Bucky answered solemnly, and that seemed to soften Nat more than promises and declarations could have. She thawed enough to smile a puckish smile at him, and then turned back to thumb on vapor display.

“Sitrep,” Steve ordered, and she grinned.

“With Barnes’s intel, we’ve identified the likely location of the Hydra base in Siberia,” she announced, pointing to a spot on the northern edge of the vast area that was Siberia.

“Already?” Bucky asked, leaning forward as though he might see down to the ground in the display. Which, considering their were riding in a flying car, and in stealth mode no less, wasn’t such a stretch.

“Tell me, Barnes - is it an old Soviet missile silo?” Bucky nodded, impressed despite himself. “Then, yeah, already. We just needed a clue. Siberia’s big, but not as big as the entire planet. Narrowing it down to one part of the world, we’re able to look for clues, and we found them in the noise. We just needed to know which noise to listen closely to. Coulson’s team is en route via the Arctic. Some old friends of mine. We’re lucky we’re in their one month fo summer.”

“What’re they gonna do?” Bucky asked, feeling a cold knot in his gut begin to unravel.

“Take them down,” Nat replied simply, shrugging.

“What about -“

“The team’ll do its best to recover your Dad unharmed,” Steve said reassuringly.

“Y’know, I’m not even sure I care,” Bucky answered acidly, shocked to find that was true. George Barnes hadn’t been much of a presence in his life for a long time. It had always been him and Becca and their Mom. And thinking of Winnie Barnes and how she’d checked out because George Barnes was a brilliant but weak man ... the anger burned cold in his gut, and the pain of loss was sharp and immediate. “The bastard got us all in this. My Mom is dead because of this. I think -“

Steve’s hand closed over Bucky’s, squeezing gently. “He’s still your Dad, Buck.”

“Yeah, and no matter what, he’s always gonna be compromised. If not Hydra, then maybe somebody else. Are we ever gonna be safe as long as he’s around?”

Nat shrugged again, looking past Bucky to Steve. “It’s a valid question.”

“And maybe it’s a valid argument to turn him over to the government. Maybe not as a collaborator, but -“

“Yeah. Yeah, that could work,” Bucky agreed readily, feeling a sense of relief. He’d forgotten how much life made sense when he was around Steve, even when the world was insane and turned inside out, like now. For the first time in two years, Bucky felt actual hope.

“What about Becca?”

“Again, knowing what to listen for. We’ve narrowed it down - I don’t believe she’s here in New York City. The signs are pointing to somewhere closer to Connecticut.”

“But you haven’t found her.”

“Yet,” Tony piped up. “We’re gonna take a break at my place, regroup, review the intel, and then we’re gonna make some plans. How’s that sound, Steve’s Boyfriend?”

“Fiancé,” Steve corrected.

“You can call me fucking Bucky Bear if you help me get my sister back.”

Tony looked over his shoulder at Bucky and grinned. “Deal.”

And then they were touching down on the roof of Stark Tower.

&&&

“Sonovabitch,” Bucky breathed.

Steve nodded. “I never liked that guy.”

“Me, neither. Dad worked with him, what, twenty years ago? We were in middle school. Remember?”

Steve shuddered. “Never forget. Always felt like the air was oily around him. Never wanted to be caught alone with him, either. He just gave off a vibe. Creepy.”

Clint snorted. “His head shot is next to smarmy in the dictionary.”

Nat flicked Clint’s ear. “When have you ever looked at a dictionary, Clint Barton?”

“I read.”

“I guess comic books do count.”

“Graphic novels. His place is a fortress.”

Nat shook her head. “And he’s got the local cops and government on his side.”

Tony pursed his lips sourly. “Cabinet position in the Bush Pere White House’ll do wonders for a reputation.”

“Butt loads of money don’t hurt,” Sam interjected. “Rich old white dudes ...”

“Thinking that money didn’t all come from legitimate sources ...”

“Thinking some of his influence may not have, either.”

“You think he’s been Hydra all along?”

Tony shrugged. “My Dad never liked him. Said he smelled funny. Refused to shake his hand, right to his face. Cost the company some government contracts. Always thought that was Dad feeling outclassed by Pierce’s old money, his Ivy League connections. Now I wonder.”

“Maybe your Dad’s sniffer kept your company clean,” Clint offered with a little smile.

“Yeah, maybe. Okay. We know where. We know who. Now we gotta figure out how.”

“I know,” Bucky suggested.

“Yeah. Spill, Barnes.”

“I walk up to the gate, with Steve in tow.”

“Like you’re gonna turn over Steve and his access codes.”

“They wanted the arc technology, but Steve’s codes would get them into more than just your stash.”

“That gets you in the door, and puts Steve at risk. Then what?”

Tony snapped his fingers and grinned ferally. “I got it.”

&&&

“General, what made your team suspect former Secretary Pierce?”

General Glenn Talbot looked directly into the camera and said sincerely, “I have to credit our intelligence services here, Audrey. They’ve been following the evidence, even when it didn’t seem possible. I mean, Alexander Pierce served under President Reagan. No one would have suspected such a man of treason.”

“And yet, the evidence is mounting.”

“We’re certainly seeing a pattern of increasingly extremist tendencies, documented in both his public and private interactions. And to discover that former Secretary Pierce was complicit in the kidnapping and imprisonment of an innocent young woman, that he’s at the center of an extensive conspiracy to undermine our democracy -“

“Turn it off,” Bucky asked with a shudder, coming round the sofa with a tray of coffee mugs. He handed one to Steve, another to Becca, and then sat down cradling his own, breathing the fragrant steam with a blissed out smile.

“I can’t believe it’s over. It’s really over, right, Bear?” Becca asked anxiously. She’d been nervous and withdrawn since they’d recovered her from the Pierce estate. Talbot’s team had taken point, but it had been Tony’s EM pulse carried by Bucky when he and Steve arrived at the gates that had made it possible to take the estate with minimal casualties. It had also prevented reinforcements to be pulled in from the locals that Pierce had corrupted, which had given the team the opportunity to act quickly to bring down the ex-Secretary. Once they had his scent, amassing the evidence against him was surprisingly easy - his hubris had encouraged him to not even both to hide his trail.

And once they had Becca back, Tony, bless his black soul, and his significant other, Pepper Potts, the CEO of Stark Industries, had opened their home - their homes - to Becca. Becca was a few months shy of legal age, so, with Bucky’s permission and Becca’s consent, Tony and Pepper had petitioned the court to become her legal guardians, to give her some stability and safety after the frightening experiences at the hands of Hydra, and the devastating loss of her mother.

Both Tony and Pepper had insisted on bringing in a team of therapists to work with Becca, and the consensus was it could be years before she processed everything she’d been through in the past two years. But in the meantime, she was as safe as it was possible to be in the modern age, and she was surrounded by people who cared.

The fate of George Barnes was something none of them discussed. It was left to the future to deal with it. The important thing was that Bucky and Becca felt safe. Steve had been pleasantly surprised to find that he was not alone in that belief, and the team had been a great help in making that belief a reality.

Bucky had chosen to move in with Steve in Brooklyn, but he’d also nudged Steve to accept an apartment in Stark Tower so they had a safe place to retire to if needed. It also meant he could spend more time with his sister, and the two Barnes siblings each proved to be an important support for the other. Becca had her own suite, but they all preferred to hang out in the Barnes-Rogers suite of Stark Tower whenever Bucky and Steve stayed over.

Now, Bucky put his mug down and hugged her close, kissed her hair and murmured sounds of support and love. Steve shifted so he could put his arm around Bucky’s shoulders, and touch Becca’s too, a show of support and solidarity.

They all had wounds that needed to heal, and none of them were facing the future alone. It was a heady experience for all three of them to have their found family, and even more so to have the extended family that was Steve’s team.

The whole team had access to quarters in the Tower, and Tony enjoyed having all his friends over for what he called “slumber parties,” and the others called “nights of debauchery.” They really weren’t so bad, but Tony’s idea of social discourse always tended to be a bit turbo-charged. But the snacks were always good, the alcohol was always top shelf for those who wanted it, and the milk shakes and fountain sodas were always premium. And movies really did look good on the massive screen he’d designed himself. And it was kind of fun for everyone to cut loose with ridiculous sleep apparel and fuzzy slippers, lounging around on bean bags and massive fluffy floor pillows.

Steve told Bucky that he thought Tony missed out on middle school hijinx since he’d gone from grade school directly to MIT, and he was making up for lost opportunities.

Becca enjoyed the movie nights, at least. And the others might be loathe to admit it, but they did, too. It was good to unwind in a safe space, surrounded by people they could trust.

For Bucky and Steve, any day they spent together was a good one, and this was another in what promised to be a long string of them. They still had so much to relearn about each other, and learn for the first time. Each woke from nightmares some nights, and each had issues to be dealt with. It wouldn’t be easy. But as Bucky settled back against Steve’s chest to enjoy his solid warmth, there was a sense of trust that it would be worth it.

END

**Author's Note:**

> Please refrain from leaving comments like “I need more,” and “Write faster.” You have no idea how much comments like that spike my anxiety, and suck the fun out of writing. Fortunately, there haven’t been many, but my world would be a better place if there are none. I actually much prefer criticism to comments like those. Actually, criticism is good, because it helps me write better. Even, “how could you?” is better ...
> 
> Thanks for reading, and for sticking with me! More to come (at my own pace ...)


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